Carmen LXIII: The Adventures of Atys
O'er high deep seas in speedy ship his voyage Atys spedUntil he trod the Phrygian grove with hurried eager treadAnd as the gloomy tree-shorn stead, the she-god's home, he soughtThere sorely stung with fiery ire and madman's vaguing thought,Share he with sharpened flint the freight wherewith his form was fraught.Then as the she-he sensed limbs were void of manly strainAnd sighted freshly shed a-ground spot of ensanguined stain,Snatched she the timbrel's legier load with hands as snowdrops white,Thy timbrel, Mother Cybebe, the firstings of thy rite,And as her tender finger-tips on bull-back hollow rangShe rose a-grieving and her song to listening comrades sang."Up Gallae, hie together, haste for Cybebe's deep grove,Hie to the Dindymenean dame, ye flocks that love to rove;The which affecting stranger steads as bound in exile's bruntMy sect pursuing led by me have nerved you to confrontThe raging surge of salty sea and ocean's tyrant handAs your hate of Venus' hest your manly forms unmann'd,Gladden your souls, ye mistresses, with sense of error bann'd.Drive from your spirits dull delay, together follow yeTo hold of Phrygian goddess, home of Phrygian Cybebe,Where loud the cymbal's voice resounds with timbrel-echoes blending,And where the Phrygian piper drones grave bass from reed a-bending,Where toss their ivy-circled heads with might the MaenadesWhere ply mid shrilly lullilooes the holiest mysteries,Where to fly here and there be wont the she-god's vaguing train,Thither behoves us lead the dance in quick-step hasty strain."Soon as had Atys (bastard-she) this lay to comrades sungThe Chorus sudden lulliloos with quivering, quavering tongue,Again the nimble timbrel groans, the scooped-out cymbals clash,And up green Ida flits the Choir, with footsteps hurrying rash.Then Atys frantic, panting, raves, a-wandering, lost, insane,And leads with timbrel hent and treads the shades where shadows rain,Like heifer spurning load of yoke in yet unbroken pride;And the swift Gallae follow fain their first and fleetfoot guide.But when the home of Cybebe they make with toil out-wornO'er much, they lay them down to sleep and gifts of Ceres scorn;Till heavy slumbers seal their eyelids langourous, drooping lowly,And raving phrenzy flies each brain departing softly, slowly.But when Dan Sol with radiant eyes that fire his face of goldSurveyed white aether and solid soil and waters uncontrol'd,And chased with steeds sonorous-hooved the shades of lingering night,Then sleep from waking Atys fled fleeting with sudden flight,By Nymph Pasithae welcomed to palpitating breast.Thus when his phrenzy raging rash was soothed to gentlest rest,Atys revolved deeds lately done, as thought from breast unfolding,And what he'd lost and what he was with lucid sprite beholding,To shallows led by surging soul again the way 'gan take.There casting glance of weeping eyes where vasty billows brake,Sad-voiced in pitifullest lay his native land bespake."Country of me, Creatress mine, O born to thee and bred,By hapless me abandoned as by thrall from lordling fled,When me to Ida's groves and glades these vaguing footsteps boreTo tarry 'mid the snows and where lurk beasts in antres froreAnd seek the deeply hidden lairs where furious ferals meet!Where, Country! whither placed must I now hold thy site and seat?Lief would these balls of eyes direct to thee their line of sight,Which for a while, a little while, would free me from despite.Must I for ever roam these groves from house and home afar?Of country, parents, kith and kin (life's boon) myself debar?Fly Forum, fly Palestra, fly the Stadium, the Gymnase?Wretch, ah poor wretch, I'm doomed (my soul!) to mourn throughout mydays,For what of form or figure is, which I failed to enjoy?I full-grown man, I blooming youth, I stripling, I a boy,I of Gymnasium erst the bloom, I too of oil the pride:Warm was my threshold, ever stood my gateways opening wide,My house was ever garlanded and hung with flowery freight,And couch to quit with rising sun, has ever been my fate:Now must I Cybebe's she-slave, priestess of gods, be hight?I Maenad I, mere bit of self, I neutral barren wight?I spend my life-tide couch't beneath high-towering Phrygian peaks?I dwell on Ida's verdant slopes mottled with snowy streaks,Where homes the forest-haunting doe, where roams the wildling boar?Now, now I rue my deed foredone, now, now it irks me sore!"Whenas from out those roseate lips these accents rapid flew,Bore them to ears divine consigned a Nuncio true and new;Then Cybebe her lions twain disjoining from their yokeThe left-hand enemy of the herds a-goading thus bespoke:--"Up feral fell! up, hie with him, see rage his footsteps urge,See that his fury smite him till he seek the forest verge,He who with over-freedom fain would fly mine empery.Go, slash thy flank with lashing tail and sense the strokes of thee,Make the whole mountain to thy roar sound and resound again,And fiercely toss thy brawny neck that bears the tawny mane!"So quoth an-angered Cybebe, and yoke with hand untied:The feral rose in fiery wrath and self-inciting hied,A-charging, roaring through the brake with breaking paws he tore.But when he reached the humid sands where surges cream the shore,Spying soft Atys lingering near the marbled pave of seaHe springs: the terror-madded wretch back to the wood doth flee,Where for the remnant of her days a bondmaid's life led she.Great Goddess, Goddess Cybebe, Dindymus dame divine,Far from my house and home thy wrath and wrack, dread mistress mine:Goad others on with Fury's goad, others to Ire consign!
Words in this poem 46
- sorely adv.
- In a sore manner; grievously; painfully; as, to be sorely afflicted.
- wherewith adv.
- With which; -- used relatively.
- fraught n.
- A freight; a cargo. [OE.fraight, fraght; akin to Dan. fragt, Sw. frakt, D. vracht, G. fracht, cf. OHG. fr merit, reward; perh. from corresponding to E. for + The root of E. own. Cf.]
- timbrel n.
- A kind of drum, tabor, or tabret, in use from the highest antiquity. [Dim. of OE. timbre, OF. timbre; probably fr. L. typmanum, Gr. tabl a drum; cf. Per. tambal a drum. See Tympanum, and cf. 2d Timbre, Tymbal.]
- dame n.
- A mistress of a family, who is a lady; a womam in authority; especially, a lady. [F. dame, LL. domna, fr. L. domina mistress, lady, fem. of dominus master, ruler, lord; akin to domare to tame, subdue. See Tame, and cf. Dam mother, Dan, Danger]
- brunt n.
- The heat, or utmost violence, of an onset; the strength or greatest fury of any contention; as, the brunt of a battle. [OE. brunt, bront, fr. Icel. bruna to rush; cf. Icel. brenna to burn. Cf. Burn, v. t.]
- confront v. t.
- To stand facing or in front of; to face; esp. to face hostilely; to oppose with firmness.
- salty a.
- Somewhat salt; saltish.
- hest n.
- Command; precept; injunction. See Behest. [AS. hs, fr. h to call, bid. See Hight, and cf. Behest.]
- gladden v. t.
- To make glad; to cheer; to please; to gratify; to rejoice; to exhilarate. [See Glad, v. t.]
- blending n.
- The act of mingling.
- shrilly a.
- Somewhat shrill.
- hent v. t.
- To seize; to lay hold on; to catch; to get. Piers Plowman. [OE. hente, henten, fr. AS. hentan, gehentan, to pursue, take, seize; cf. Icel. henda, Goth. hinpan (in compos.), and E. hunt.]
- fain v. t.
- To be glad ; to wish or desire.
- ceres n.
- The daughter of Saturn and Ops or Rhea, the goddess of corn and tillage. [L., Ceres, also corn, grain, akin to E. create.]
- sprite n.
- A spirit; a soul; a shade; also, an apparition. See Spright. [OE. sprit, F. esprit, fr. L. spiritus. See Spirit, and cf. Sprightly.]
- beholding a.
- Obliged; beholden.
- creatress n.
- She who creates. [L. creatrix: cf. F. cr.]
- hapless a.
- Without hap or luck; luckless; unfortunate; unlucky; unhappy; as, hapless youth; hapless maid.
- lordling n.
- A little or insignificant lord. Goldsmith. [Lord + -ling.]
- whither adv.
- To what place; -- used interrogatively; as, whither goest thou [OE. whider. AS. hwider; akin to E. where, who; cf. Goth. hvadre whither. See Who, and cf. Hither, Thither.]
- afar adv.
- At, to, or from a great distance; far away; -- often used with from preceding, or off following; as, he was seen from afar; I saw him afar off. [Pref. a-.(for on or of) + far.]
- kith n.
- Acquaintance; kindred. [OE. kith, cu, AS. cc known. Uncouth, Can, and cf. Kythe.]
- boon n.
- A prayer or petition. [OE. bone, boin, a petition, fr. Icel. b; akin to Sw. & Dan. b, AS. b, and perh. to E. ban; but influenced by F. bon good, fr. L. bonus. Ban, Bounty.]
- debar v. t.
- To cut off from entrance, as if by a bar or barrier; to preclude; to hinder from approach, entry, or enjoyment; to shut out or exclude; to deny or refuse; -- with from, and sometimes with of. [Pref. de- + bar.]
- forum n.
- A market place or public place in Rome, where causes were judicially tried, and orations delivered to the people. [L.; akin to foris, foras, out of doors. See Foreign.]
- stripling n.
- A youth in the state of adolescence, or just passing from boyhood to manhood; a lad. [Dim. of strip; as if a small strip from the main stock or steam.]
- gymnasium n.
- A place or building where athletic exercises are performed; a school for gymnastics.
- priestess n.
- A woman who officiated in sacred rites among pagans. Abp.
- hight v. t.
- To be called or named. [OE. heiten, highten, haten, hoten; also hight, hatte, hette, is called, was called, AS. hatan to call, name, be called, to command, promise; also hatte is calle]
- wight n.
- A whit; a bit; a jot. [OE. wight, wiht, a wight, a whit, AS. wiht, wuht, a creature, a thing; skin to D. wicht a child, OS. & OHG. wiht a creature, thing, G. wicht a creature, Icel. v]
- dwell v. i.
- To delay; to linger. [OE. dwellen, dwelien, to err, linger, AS. dwellan to deceive, hinder, delay, dwelian to err; akin to Icel. dvelja to delay, tarry, Sw. dväljas to dwell, Dan. dv]
- snowy a.
- White like snow.
- roseate a.
- Full of roses; rosy; as, roseate bowers. [Cf. L. roseus, rosatus, prepared from roses. See Roseal, Rose.]
- twain a.
- Two;- nearly obsolete in common discourse, but used in poetry and burlesque. [OE. twein, tweien, tweyne, AS. twegen, masc. See Two.]
- feral a.
- Wild; untamed; ferine; not domesticated; -- said of beasts, birds, and plants. feral child, not raised by humans [L. ferus. See Fierce.]
- empery n.
- Empire; sovereignty; dominion. [L. imperium, influenced by OF. emperie, empire. See Empire.]
- slash v. t.
- To cut by striking violently and at random; to cut in long slits. [OE. slaschen, of uncertain origin; cf. OF. esclachier to break, esclechier, esclichier, to break, and E. slate, slice, slit, v. t.]
- lashing n.
- The act of one who, or that which, lashes; castigation; chastisement. South. Lashing out, a striking out; also, extravagance.
- brawny a.
- Having large, strong muscles; muscular; fleshy; strong.
- quoth v. t.
- Said; spoke; uttered; -- used only in the first and third persons in the past tenses, and always followed by its nominative, the word or words said being the object; as, quoth I. quoth he. [AS.cweedhan, imp cwæedh, pl. cwædon; akin to OS. queedhan, OHG. quethan, quedan, Icel. kveedha, Goth. qiþan. sq. root22. Cf. Bequeath.]
- tore n.
- The dead grass that remains on mowing land in winter and spring. Mortimer. [Probably from the root of tear; cf. W. tór a break, cut, tóri to break, cut.]
- marbled a.
- Made of, or faced with, marble.
- pave n.
- The pavement. Nymphe du pavé ([A low euphemism.] [F., from paver to pave. See Pave.]
- wrack n.
- Wreck; ruin; destruction. [OE. wrak wreck. See Wreck.]
- consign v. i.
- To submit; to surrender or yield one's self.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Carmen LXIII: The Adventures of Atys is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Carmina, Project Gutenberg ebook #20732, the Richard Burton translation; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Catullus, Carmen LXIII: The Adventures of Atys, in The Carmina (1894), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #20732, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/catullus-carmina/carmen-lxiii-the-adventures-of-atys.html, id L13845.
Form and metre
Carmen LXIII: The Adventures of Atys is 94 lines in a single stanza. It is in rhyming couplets, 62% of the lines. The metre is iambic heptameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 85%). 93% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 13.6 syllables. 8 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 19% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
See other poems in rhyming couplets, other poems in iambic heptameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 AABBBCCDDEEFFGGHHH--II--JJKKLLMMNNOOPPQQRRSSTTUUUVVWWXXYYZZ---aabbccddeeffgghhii----jjkklllmmm spedA · treadA · soughtB · thoughtB · fraughtB · strainC · stainC · whiteD · riteD · rangE · sangE · groveF · roveF · bruntG · confrontG · handH · unmann'dH · bann'dH · ye · cybebe · blendingI · bendingI · maenades · mysteries · trainJ · strainJ · sungK · tongueK · clashL · rashL · insaneM · rainM · prideN · guideN · wornO · scornO · lowlyP · slowlyP · goldQ · uncontrol'dQ · nightR · flightR · breastS · restS · unfoldingT · beholdingT · takeU · brakeU · bespakeU · bredV · fledV · boreW · froreW · meetX · seatX · sightY · despiteY · afarZ · debarZ · gymnase · my · days · enjoya · boya · prideb · wideb · freightc · fatec · hightd · wightd · peakse · streakse · boarf · soref · flewg · newg · yokeh · bespokeh · urgei · vergei · empery · thee · again · mane · untiedj · hiedj · torek · shorek · seal · fleel · shel · divinem · minem · consignm
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic heptameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| O'er high deep seas in speedy ship his voyage Atys sped | 14 | ·····/˘··/˘··· |
| Until he trod the Phrygian grove with hurried eager tread | 14 | ·····/˘··/˘/˘· |
| And as the gloomy tree-shorn stead, the she-god's home, he sought | 14 | ···/˘········· |
| There sorely stung with fiery ire and madman's vaguing thought, | 14 | ·/˘··/˘··/·/˘· |
| Share he with sharpened flint the freight wherewith his form was fraught. | 14 | ···/˘···˘/···· |
| Then as the she-he sensed limbs were void of manly strain | 13 | ··········/˘· |
| And sighted freshly shed a-ground spot of ensanguined stain, | 14 | ·/˘/˘········· |
| Snatched she the timbrel's legier load with hands as snowdrops white, | 14 | ·············· |
| Thy timbrel, Mother Cybebe, the firstings of thy rite, | 13 | ·/˘/˘········ |
| And as her tender finger-tips on bull-back hollow rang | 14 | ···/˘/˘····/˘· |
| She rose a-grieving and her song to listening comrades sang. | 14 | ···/˘····/˘/·· |
| "Up Gallae, hie together, haste for Cybebe's deep grove, | 12 | ···˘/˘······ |
| Hie to the Dindymenean dame, ye flocks that love to rove; | 14 | ·············· |
| The which affecting stranger steads as bound in exile's brunt | 14 | ··˘/˘/˘····/·· |
| My sect pursuing led by me have nerved you to confront | 14 | ··˘/˘·······˘/ |
| The raging surge of salty sea and ocean's tyrant hand | 14 | ·/˘··/˘··/˘/˘· |
| As your hate of Venus' hest your manly forms unmann'd, | 13 | ····/˘··/˘·˘/ |
| Gladden your souls, ye mistresses, with sense of error bann'd. | 13 | /˘···/˘···/˘· |
| Drive from your spirits dull delay, together follow ye | 14 | ···/˘·˘/˘/˘/˘· |
| To hold of Phrygian goddess, home of Phrygian Cybebe, | 13 | ···/˘/˘··/˘·· |
| Where loud the cymbal's voice resounds with timbrel-echoes blending, | 15 | ···/˘··/·/˘/˘/˘ |
| And where the Phrygian piper drones grave bass from reed a-bending, | 14 | ···/˘/······/˘ |
| Where toss their ivy-circled heads with might the Maenades | 13 | ···/˘/˘······ |
| Where ply mid shrilly lullilooes the holiest mysteries, | 12 | ···/˘···/˘/˘ |
| Where to fly here and there be wont the she-god's vaguing train, | 14 | ···········/˘· |
| Thither behoves us lead the dance in quick-step hasty strain." | 14 | /˘·········/˘· |
| Soon as had Atys (bastard-she) this lay to comrades sung | 14 | ·····/˘····/·· |
| The Chorus sudden lulliloos with quivering, quavering tongue, | 14 | ·/˘/˘····/˘/˘· |
| Again the nimble timbrel groans, the scooped-out cymbals clash, | 14 | ˘/·/˘/˘····/˘· |
| And up green Ida flits the Choir, with footsteps hurrying rash. | 14 | ···/˘··/·/·/˘· |
| Then Atys frantic, panting, raves, a-wandering, lost, insane, | 14 | ···/˘/˘··/˘·˘/ |
| And leads with timbrel hent and treads the shades where shadows rain, | 14 | ···/˘······/·· |
| Like heifer spurning load of yoke in yet unbroken pride; | 13 | ·//˘·····˘/˘· |
| And the swift Gallae follow fain their first and fleetfoot guide. | 13 | ····/˘····/˘· |
| But when the home of Cybebe they make with toil out-worn | 13 | ············· |
| O'er much, they lay them down to sleep and gifts of Ceres scorn; | 14 | ···········/˘· |
| Till heavy slumbers seal their eyelids langourous, drooping lowly, | 16 | ·/˘/˘··/····/˘/˘ |
| And raving phrenzy flies each brain departing softly, slowly. | 15 | ·/˘·····˘/˘/˘/˘ |
| But when Dan Sol with radiant eyes that fire his face of gold | 14 | ·····/˘··/···· |
| Surveyed white aether and solid soil and waters uncontrol'd, | 15 | /·····/˘··/˘··· |
| And chased with steeds sonorous-hooved the shades of lingering night, | 13 | ····/˘····/˘· |
| Then sleep from waking Atys fled fleeting with sudden flight, | 14 | ···/˘···/˘·/˘· |
| By Nymph Pasithae welcomed to palpitating breast. | 10 | ····/˘·/˘· |
| Thus when his phrenzy raging rash was soothed to gentlest rest, | 14 | ·····/˘····/˘· |
| Atys revolved deeds lately done, as thought from breast unfolding, | 15 | ··˘/·/˘·····˘/˘ |
| And what he'd lost and what he was with lucid sprite beholding, | 15 | ·········/˘·˘/˘ |
| To shallows led by surging soul again the way 'gan take. | 14 | ·/˘··/˘·˘/···· |
| There casting glance of weeping eyes where vasty billows brake, | 14 | ·/˘··/˘··/˘/˘· |
| Sad-voiced in pitifullest lay his native land bespake. | 12 | ···/˘··/˘··· |
| "Country of me, Creatress mine, O born to thee and bred, | 14 | /˘··˘/˘······· |
| By hapless me abandoned as by thrall from lordling fled, | 14 | ·/˘·˘/˘····/˘· |
| When me to Ida's groves and glades these vaguing footsteps bore | 14 | ···/˘····/˘/·· |
| To tarry 'mid the snows and where lurk beasts in antres frore | 13 | ·/˘·········· |
| And seek the deeply hidden lairs where furious ferals meet! | 14 | ···/˘/˘··/˘/˘· |
| Where, Country! whither placed must I now hold thy site and seat? | 14 | ·/˘/˘········· |
| Lief would these balls of eyes direct to thee their line of sight, | 14 | ······˘/······ |
| Which for a while, a little while, would free me from despite. | 14 | ·····/˘·····˘/ |
| Must I for ever roam these groves from house and home afar? | 13 | ···/·······˘/ |
| Of country, parents, kith and kin (life's boon) myself debar? | 14 | ·/˘/˘······/˘/ |
| Fly Forum, fly Palestra, fly the Stadium, the Gymnase? | 14 | ·/˘·˘/˘··/˘··· |
| Wretch, ah poor wretch, I'm doomed (my soul!) to mourn throughout my | 13 | ············· |
| days, | 1 | · |
| For what of form or figure is, which I failed to enjoy? | 14 | ·····/˘·····˘/ |
| I full-grown man, I blooming youth, I stripling, I a boy, | 14 | ·····/˘··/˘··· |
| I of Gymnasium erst the bloom, I too of oil the pride: | 14 | ··˘/˘········· |
| Warm was my threshold, ever stood my gateways opening wide, | 13 | ···/·/··/·/˘· |
| My house was ever garlanded and hung with flowery freight, | 12 | ···//˘···/˘· |
| And couch to quit with rising sun, has ever been my fate: | 13 | ·····/˘··/··· |
| Now must I Cybebe's she-slave, priestess of gods, be hight? | 13 | ·······/˘···· |
| I Maenad I, mere bit of self, I neutral barren wight? | 14 | ·········/˘/˘· |
| I spend my life-tide couch't beneath high-towering Phrygian peaks? | 14 | ·········/˘/˘· |
| I dwell on Ida's verdant slopes mottled with snowy streaks, | 14 | ···/˘/˘·/˘·/˘· |
| Where homes the forest-haunting doe, where roams the wildling boar? | 14 | ···/˘/˘······· |
| Now, now I rue my deed foredone, now, now it irks me sore!" | 15 | ··············· |
| Whenas from out those roseate lips these accents rapid flew, | 14 | /˘···/˘··/˘/˘· |
| Bore them to ears divine consigned a Nuncio true and new; | 14 | ····˘/˘/·/˘··· |
| Then Cybebe her lions twain disjoining from their yoke | 13 | ····/˘······· |
| The left-hand enemy of the herds a-goading thus bespoke:-- | 14 | ···/˘····/˘·˘/ |
| "Up feral fell! up, hie with him, see rage his footsteps urge, | 14 | ·/˘········/·· |
| See that his fury smite him till he seek the forest verge, | 14 | ···/˘······/˘· |
| He who with over-freedom fain would fly mine empery. | 13 | ····/˘····/˘˘ |
| Go, slash thy flank with lashing tail and sense the strokes of thee, | 14 | ·····/˘······· |
| Make the whole mountain to thy roar sound and resound again, | 14 | ···/˘······/˘/ |
| And fiercely toss thy brawny neck that bears the tawny mane!" | 14 | ·/˘··/˘····/˘· |
| So quoth an-angered Cybebe, and yoke with hand untied: | 13 | ···/˘······˘/ |
| The feral rose in fiery wrath and self-inciting hied, | 14 | ·/˘··/˘···˘/˘· |
| A-charging, roaring through the brake with breaking paws he tore. | 14 | ·/˘/˘····/˘··· |
| But when he reached the humid sands where surges cream the shore, | 14 | ·····/˘··/˘··· |
| Spying soft Atys lingering near the marbled pave of sea | 14 | /˘···/˘··/˘··· |
| He springs: the terror-madded wretch back to the wood doth flee, | 14 | ···/˘/˘······· |
| Where for the remnant of her days a bondmaid's life led she. | 14 | ···/˘········· |
| Great Goddess, Goddess Cybebe, Dindymus dame divine, | 13 | ·/˘/˘······˘/ |
| Far from my house and home thy wrath and wrack, dread mistress mine: | 14 | ···········/˘· |
| Goad others on with Fury's goad, others to Ire consign! | 14 | ·/˘··/˘·/˘··˘/ |
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